1 Foreword

The justice system of a modern and progressive country - a
country committed to tackling inequalities - is one which supports
those who end up in our justice system to turn their behaviours
around and become contributors to an inclusive and respectful
society.

We know that the people who live in the most deprived parts of
our society are more likely to have experienced challenges at
school; mental ill health; alcohol or drug addiction; unemployment;
or homelessness. It is little surprise therefore, that people who
are the victims of crime and those who offend and their families
are drawn disproportionately from these areas.

That is why the National Strategy for Community Justice is
founded on adopting a preventative approach: an approach to not
only reduce crime and the number of future victims of crime, but to
help to create a more just, equitable, and inclusive society where
people's life chances are improved and our public resources are
made best use of. This strategy sets out an ambitious vision where
people are rightly held to account for their offending, but are
supported to be active and responsible contributors to their
community.

Taking a holistic approach can help people to make positive
changes in their lives, and help tackle the underlying causes of
their offending. This strategy encourages community justice
partners to provide tailored wrap-around services which work with
people as individuals, and which recognise their strengths, needs
and aspirations. The evidence is clear that better access to
welfare, housing and health services, wellbeing and employability
assistance can reduce or even prevent offending from occurring in
the first place. This strategy sets out the role that partners have
in improving access to these and other services.

For those that commit an offence, the strategy continues our
journey towards robust sentencing options. Rather than invest
resources in interventions that we know for many people do not work
to rehabilitate them or reduce the likelihood of their reoffending
- such as short term prison sentences - it promotes the use of
effective, evidence-based community interventions. This is not
about being soft or tough on crime, but about being smart on crime.
Every interaction with the justice system should be seen as an
opportunity to reduce and prevent further offending.

The answers are not straightforward - to drive improvement on
such complex and intractable problems will require joint working
from a range of partners, including some not traditionally
associated with justice. These organisations will need to work
together to ensure that we can provide the best possible outcomes.
That is why collaboration is at the heart of this strategy. I am
delighted and grateful that community justice partners have played
an instrumental role in the steering group that led the development
of this work.

To realise our goals will also require the willingness and
collaboration of communities themselves; from the families,
neighbours and local businesses who can support successful
reintegration into the community, to the very people who have
committed offences striving to turn their lives around and
contribute productively to society.

This strategy provides a vision for community justice in
Scotland. It is designed to help community partners prioritise key
areas, to facilitate and drive improvement and to support our
communities in realising that vision. I am confident that we can
rise to this challenge.